Greek Parliament approves allowance for its employees, sparks backlash from firefighters and military staff

On July 15, 2025, the Hellenic Parliament’s plenary approved a new allowance for parliamentary staff, with retroactive effect, as published in the Government Gazette (Issue 128). The same text also introduced a “Performance Incentive for Supporting the Cultural and Educational Mission” for employees of the Parliament’s Foundation, with specific terms to be determined by the Speaker of Parliament.

Reactions and Controversy

The decision has triggered strong criticism from other professional groups, including members of the military and firefighters. Estimates place the new benefit for parliamentary employees at €2,500–€4,000 annually.

The most recent backlash came from seasonal firefighters, who condemned the measure as offensive. They argued that labeling the new benefit as a “hazardous and unhealthy work allowance” for parliamentary staff undermines those working in genuinely dangerous conditions.

In their protest statement, firefighters used sharp irony:

“We’ve seen it all now… Parliamentary employees will receive up to €4,000 for ‘hazardous and unhealthy work,’ retroactively no less!
It makes sense, of course. Carrying glasses of water in the corridors, avoiding spilling coffee on transcripts, risking tendonitis from typing, or back pain from a swivel chair is clearly perilous work.
Meanwhile, we throw ourselves into flames daily, suffer burns, breathe cancer, and mourn colleagues who fall in the line of duty. If this doesn’t count as hazardous, then perhaps the real battle is fought with air-conditioning and staplers inside Parliament.”

They further stressed that such decisions blur the distinction between truly dangerous professions and ordinary office work, devaluing the meaning of the term “hazardous and unhealthy.”

Legal Framework

The measure falls under Article 18 of Law 4354/2015, which empowers ministerial decrees to define eligible categories and scales of allowances for public sector entities. Recent ministerial replies to Parliament have confirmed that eligibility is tied to job duties and specific working conditions, as outlined in existing Joint Ministerial Decisions (KYA) that already cover categories such as civil servants, permanent and contract staff, and municipal employees.